Serval Leaping for Bird in Rio Grass

Low morning light cuts through the haze along the tidal inlet, illuminating the golden coat of a serval mid-air. Tall, dry grasses sway around the animal, their beige and green stalks blurring slightly under the tight close-up framing. The serval's muscles stretch as it reaches for a small bird fluttering just above the vegetation. Shadows stretch long across the damp earth near the water's edge, while the horizon glows with a soft, pale orange. Dust motes rise from the dry ground, catching the first rays of the sun. The bird's wings blur against the green stems, frozen in the split second before impact. One shadow falls across the grass beneath the serval's hind legs.